Greaseless lower unit for outboard motors and the like



M. v. HILL 2,145,623

GREASELESS LOWEFVUNIT FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS AND THE LIKE Jan. 31

Filed Aug. '9, 1938 x I x, W l l I llrVl||||.l!l I I I I I I I I r I l \J 5/ I/IM MW FIIL 0 3 MM Z .0 0 Z a 4 W M w 9 w 9 0/ z z w M w w In vemfor A iiomeys Patented Jan. 31, 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE GREASELESS LOWER UNIT FOR OUTBOARD MOTORS AND' THE: LIKE 7 Claims.

My invention relates generally to means for eliminating the necessity for periodically applying grease to mechanical units and particularly to the provision of greaseless bearing'means in such as the lower unit of an outboard motor, and involving utilization of water taken into the unit while in use for affording sufiicient lubrication for all of the bearing structure, and an important object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficient and relatively inexpensive arrangement of the character indicated which will outlast the present grease requiring units, thereby saving the price of the grease, and eliminating the trouble of constant checking and greasing operations.

Other important objects and advantages of my invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawing, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawing:

Figure l is a general vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through a lower unit of an outboard motor in accordance with the present invention.

Figure 2 is an enlarged transverse vertical sectional view taken through one of the rubber or similar material greaseless bearings.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral 5 generally designates a preferably cast aluminum gear case to be attached to the upper unit of the outboard motor (not shown) by means of the studs 6, l which extend from the top of the gear case in spaced relation to the upper rotary shaft 8 of the upper unit which is provided with a receptor 9 on its lower end in which the upper end of the lower shaft I is received, a pin H traversing the receptor 9 and the upper end of the shaft NJ to positively connect the two shafts. A fiber thrust washer I2 surrounds the upper end of the shaft Ill and forms a bearing for the lower end of the receptor 9.

The lower shaft i ll occupies a position substantially centrally in the gear case and in a vertical chamber l3 in which it is concentrically spaced and it is rotatably supported by upper and lower bearings 14 and I5, each of which consists of a bronze shell or sleeve 16 which encloses a sleeve ll of rubber or of fiber the inner surface of which is non-circular as illustrated in Figure 2 of the drawing and formed to provide the bearing surfaces I 8 bounded at their opposite ends by the depressions l9 which constitute water receiving channels, These bearings l4 and I5 are pressed into the chamber I3 of the gear case in the positions indicated.

On the lower end of the lower shaft I0 is secured the bronze beveled pinion 2|] which has a pin 2| traversing itself and the lower part of the shaft I0, and a fiber thrust washer 22 is interposed between the top of the pinion and the bottom of the gear case portion defining the chamber l3. The gear containing chamber 23 has a removable head 24 which is bolted in place as indicated by the numeral 25, and this head has water entrance openings 26 to admit water into the chamber 23. Other water admitting openings 2'! and 28 in the upper front part of the gear case admit water into the annular chamber 29 surrounding the chamber I3 and from this chamber 29 into the chamber l3 to lubricate the upper and lower bearings I4 and I5.

Formed integral with the removable head 24 is the bronze shaft 30 which enters the hub iii of the propeller shaft 32, the propeller shaft being journaled through the wall 33 of the gear case in a bearing 34 similar in all main aspects to the bearings M and i5. A propeller of suitable type is mounted on that part of the shaft 32 which projects beyond the bearing 34.

The hollow hub 3| has pressed thereinto a bearing 36 of a suitable size for running on the hollow shaft 30, this bearing being structually similar in all main aspects with the bearings already described. On the hollow hub 3! is mounted the fiber beveled pinion 31 which is suitably keyed thereon and is meshed with the pinion 2U. Threaded in the head 26 is a thrust adjusting screw 38 provided on the end thereof outside of the head 24 with the lock nut 39, and this screw has a smooth portion 4!] bearing against a fiber thrust washer 4| located at the inner end of the hub, and the purpose of this arrangement is to enable taking up the end play which may develop between the pinions due to the thrust of the propeller shaft and the normal wear of the parts, so as to eliminate backlash.

Although I have shown and described herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is to be definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the materials and in the structure and arrangement of the parts, within the spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having described the invention, what claimed as new is:

1. In an outboard motor or the like including an upper unit having an upper shaft and a lower unit, said lower unit comprising a gear case, means for connecting the gear case to depend from the upper unit, said gear case comprising a vertical chamber aligned with said upper shaft, a lower shaft disposed in said vertical chamber and having its upper end operatively connected to said upper shaft, greaseless upper and lower bearings in said vertical chamber journaling said lower shaft, a gear chamber in said gear case below said Vertical chamber, a removable head closing one side of said gear chamber, a stub shaft formed on said head, a propeller shaft extending through the side of the gear case opposite said stub shaft and aligned therewith, a greaseless bearing journaling said propeller shaft in the said side of the gear case, a hollow hub on the end of the propeller shaft within said gear chamber, a greaseless bearing in said hollow hub and running on the exterior of said stub shaft, a fibre pinion fixed on said hub, a bronze pinion fixed on the lower end of said lower shaft and meshed with said fibre pinion.

2. In an outboard motor or the like including an upper unit having an upper shaft and a lower unit, said lower unit comprising a gear case, means for connecting the gear case to depend from the upper unit, said gear case comprising a vertical chamber aligned with said upper shaft, a lower shaft disposed in said vertical chamber and having its upper end operatively connected to said upper shaft, greaseless upper and lower bearings in said vertical chamber journaling said lower shaft, a gear chamber in said gear case below said vertical chamber, a removable head closing one side of said gear chamber, a stub shaft formed on said head, a propeller shaft extending through the side of the gear case opposite said stub shaft and aligned therewith, a greaseless bearing journaling said propeller shaft in the said side of the gear case, a hollow hub on the end of the propeller shaft within said gear chamber, a greaseless bearing in said hollow hub and running on the exterior of said stub shaft, a fibre pinion fixed on said hub, a bronze pinion fixed on the lower end of said lower shaft and meshed with said fibre pinion, first water admitting means penetrating the side of the gear case and entering said vertical chamber for lubricating the bearings of the said lower shaft.

3. In an outboard motor or the like including an upper unit having an upper shaft and a lower unit, said lower unit comprising a gear case, means for connecting the gear case to depend from the upper unit, said gear case comprising a vertical chamber aligned with said upper shaft, a lower shaft disposed in said vertical chamber and having its upper end operatively connected to said upper shaft, greaseless upper and lower bearings in said vertical chamber journaling said lower shaft, a gear chamber in said gear case below said vertical chamber, a removable head closing one side of said gear chamber, a stub shaft formed on said head, a propeller shaft extending through the side of the gear case opposite said stub shaft and aligned therewith, a greaseless bearing journaling said propeller shaft in the said side of the gear case, a hollow hub on the end of the propeller shaft within said gear chamber, a greaseless bearing in said hollow hub and running on the exterior of said stub shaft, a fibre pinion fixed on said hub, a bronze pinion fixed on the lower end of said lower shaft and meshed with said fibre pinion, first water admitting means penetrating the side of the gear case and entering said vertical chamber for lubricating the bearings of the said lower shaft, second water admitting means on said removable head entering said gear chamber for lubricating the greaseless bearings therein.

4. In an outboard motor or the like including an upper unit having an upper shaft and a lower unit, said lower unit comprising a gear case, means for connecting the gear case to depend from the upper unit, said gear case comprising a vertical chamber aligned with said upper shaft, a lower shaft disposed in said vertical chamber and having its upper end operatively connected to said upper shaft, greaseless upper and lower bearings in said vertical chamber journaling said lower shaft, a gear chamber in said gear case below said vertical chamber, a removable head closing one side of said gear chamber, a stub shaft formed on said head, a propeller shaft extending through the side of the gear case opposite said stub shaft and aligned therewith, a greaseless bearing journaling said propeller shaft in the said side of the gear case, a hollow hub on the end of the propeller shaft within said gear chamber, a greaseless bearing in said hollow hub and running on the exterior of said stub shaft, a fibre pinion fixed on said hub, a bronze pinion fixed on the lower end of said lower shaft and meshed with said fibre pinion, said stub shaft being hollow, a screw threaded through said head and extending in the bore of said stub shaft, a thrust washer at the end of the interior of the hub on the propeller shaft, said screw being adjustable to engage said thrust washer to take up back-lash in the pinions by moving said fibre pinion into closer mesh with said bronze pinion.

5. In an outboard motor or the like including an upper unit having an upper shaft and a lower unit, said lower unit comprising a gear case, means for connecting the gear case to depend from the upper unit, said gear case comprising a vertical chamber aligned with said upper shaft, a lower shaft disposed in said vertical chamber and having its upper end operatively connected to said upper shaft, greaseless upper and lower bearings in said vertical chamber journaling said lower shaft, a gear chamber in said gear case below said vertical chamber, a removable head closing one side of said gear chamber, a stub shaft formed on said head, a propeller shaft extending through the side of the gear case opposite said stub shaft and aligned therewith, a greaseless bearing journaling said propeller shaft in the said side of the gear case, a hollow hub on the end of the propeller shaft within said gear chamber, a greaseless bearing in said hollow hub and running on the exterior of said stub shaft, a fibre pinion fixed on said hub, a bronze pinion fixed on the lower end of said lower shaft and meshed with said fibre pinion, a fibre thrust washer on said lower shaft between the bronze pinion and the upper end of said gear chamber.

6. In an outboard motor or the like including an upper unit having an upper shaft and a lower unit, said lower unit comprising a gear case, means for connecting the gear case to depend from the upper unit, said gear case comprising a vertical chamber aligned with said upper shaft, a lower shaft disposed in said vertical chamber and having its upper end operatively connected to said upper shaft, greaseless upper and lower bearings in said vertical chamber journaling said lower shaft, a gear chamber in said gear case below said vertical chamber, a removable head closing one side of said gear chamber, a stub shaft formed on said head, a propeller shaft extending through the side of the gear case opposite said stub shaft and aligned therewith, a greaseless bearing journaling said propeller shaft in the said side of the gear case, a hollow hub on the end of the propeller shaft within said gear chamber, a greaseless bearing in said hollow hub and running on the exterior of said stub shaft, a fibre pinion fixed on said hub, a bronze pinion fixed on the lower end of said lower shaft and meshed with said fibre pinion, a fibre thrust Washer on said lower shaft between the bronze pinion and the upper end of said gear chamber, and a fibre thrust washer disposed on said lower shaft between the upper end of said gear case and the lower end of a part of said upper shaft.

7. In an outboard motor or the like including an upper unit having an upper shaft and a lower unit, said lower unit comprising a gear case, means for connecting the gear case to depend from the upper unit, said gear case comprising a vertical chamber aligned with said upper shaft, a lower shaft disposed in said vertical chamber and having its upper end operatively connected to said upper shaft, greaseless upper and lower bearings in said vertical chamber journaling said lower shaft, a gear chamber in said gear case below said vertical chamber, a removable head closing one side of said gear chamber, a stub shaft formed on said head, a propeller shaft extending through the side of the gear case opposite said stub shaft and aligned therewith, a greaseless bearing journaling said propeller shaft in the said side of the gear case, a ho1- low hub on the end of the propeller shaft within said gear chamber, a greaseless bearing in said hollow hub and running on the exterior of said stub shaft, a fibre pinion fixed on said hub, a bronze' pinion fixed on the lower end of said lower shaft and meshed with said fibre pinion, each greaseless bearing comprising a metallic shell pressed into place, a non-circular lining within the shell, said lining being composed of non-metallic material gaining lubricating virtue upon contact with water.

MATT V. HILL. 

